Surplus 7.62 x 54R - Corrosive?

[Timradcliffe345]

Is the 1970's Russian 7.62 x 54R ammo I see corrosive?

When using hot water to clean out a firearm that has fired corrosive ammo, does the entire action need to be flushed or just the bore? Thanks.

 

[Hoppy590]

Yes its corrosive

and you should clean the bore, bolt face and anywhere else gasses may have reached. if its a semi auto like an SVT or a PSL you will need to clean the gas system aswell.

it certainly doesnt hurt to clean the whole bolt while your at it

 

[Bartkowski]

I clean the bore, chamber, and inside the action where the lugs on the bolt go when the bolt is closed, and usually rinse the bolt too.

Afterwards I let everything air dry for 10 minutes, then wipe down the bolt and swab out the bore. Then clean like you normally would.

 

[COMPNOR]

So how is the hot water applied? Do you dunk it in the bath tube, take a cup and poor it down the barrel, or just take a patch, soak it with hot water, and wipe stuff down?

In all the posts I've seen about it, I don't think I've seen anything about how its actually applied.

Thanks

 

[dasmi]

Very corrosive. As the is Czech silver tip. Basically, if you're buying surplus Commie ammo, it's corrosive.

 

[NCsmitty]

Carry a spray bottle of generic windex and spray the chamber and barrel right after you're done shooting. The ammonia solution reportedly neutralizes the corrosive salts from the primers. Clean normally after you get back from the range.
Regardless of what is said, treat ALL surplus ammo as corrosive primed. Your rifle will thank you by not turning into a rust bucket.

NCsmitty

 

[rugbyer81]

Compnor:

The way I do it is I take a bucket and fill it up with soapy water. It doesn't need to be full, even a few inches is fine. I then remove the bolt and send my cleaning rod from the breech to the muzzle, and then attach a patch to the rod once it comes out the muzzle. Put the entire muzzle and patch under the water, and draw it back up through the bore. This will create a suction effect that sucks soapy water up into the bore. Do this several times in a sort of pumping motion and you should see lots of crud start to darken the water. Put a few dry patches through and you can finish up with a commercial gun cleaner.

 

[Bartkowski]

I have a wash tub in my basement and a small hose that can screw on to the faucet. The hose fits perfectly in the action and I turn on the hot water. I just let the water run for a minute or so and go clean something else.

I don't use soap and have never had a problem, but the water I use is very hot. The sink is right next to a hot water heater.

 

[dasmi]

rugbyer81, that's a great idea. I'm going to start doing it that way.

 

[Slamfire]

The way I do it is I take a bucket and fill it up with soapy water. It doesn't need to be full, even a few inches is fine. I then remove the bolt and send my cleaning rod from the breech to the muzzle, and then attach a patch to the rod once it comes out the muzzle. Put the entire muzzle and patch under the water, and draw it back up through the bore. This will create a suction effect that sucks soapy water up into the bore. Do this several times in a sort of pumping motion and you should see lots of crud start to darken the water. Put a few dry patches through and you can finish up with a commercial gun cleaner

This works great. I never had any rusting due to corrosive ammo after this procedure.

Might want to stick to a funnel if your rifle is ever a Lee Enfield No 1 MkIII. The barrel is flush with the nose cap.

 

[jws527]

The only surplus ammunition I know of (or have used) that isn't corrosive is Swiss GP11. You should generally assume that all surplus ammunition is corrosive.

 

[wnycollector]

+1 on windex. I have been shooting corrosive surplus ammo in all of my mil surplus rifles (and pistols) for ~20 years without a problem. I windex EVERYTHING that may have contacted the corrosive gasses and them clean with hoppes as normal afterward.

 

[ftierson]

Originally posted by jws527

The only surplus ammunition I know of (or have used) that isn't corrosive is Swiss GP11. You should generally assume that all surplus ammunition is corrosive.

This certainly applies to any surplus ammo that was originally produced in Warsaw Pact nations and China...

It generally does not apply to 7.62x51mm NATO (with the NATO cross) ammo and US military ammo produced after 1953.

All US .30 Carbine ammo is non-corrosive. Most French produced .30 Carbone ammo is corrosive.

7.62x51mm ammo not produced by NATO nations is often corrosive.

Greek HXP .30 M2 (.30-06) ammo is non-corrosive.

The Venezuelan CAVIM 7.62x51mm ammo is non-corrosive, as is Brazilian CBC production of 7.62x51mm ammo.

However, you'll never go wrong cleaning your rifle like you just shot corrosive ammo through it (given that a little hot water is cheap and adds very little extra work to the cleaning process), but you can ruin your rifle by not cleaning the corrosive salts out of your rifle if you make a mistake in assuming that the ammo you just shot was non-corrosive.

I like cheap hot water (mixed with a little Palmolive dish washing detergent...).

Forrest

 

[kBob]

"....back in the Army again...."

I srtip of the wood parts and take the gun into the shower with me, just as generations of troops were taught.

I also do the barrel pump with cleaning rod and patch. I use a solution of hot soapy water with Octagon Soap as the cleaner in a cut down plastic gallon milk jug. Final rense is with hotest water I can stand to help it dry quickly.

I then "clean it normally" after it is dry and if I am the least bit suspicious of ammo being corrosive I break out the ancient GI Rifle Bore Cleaner for that "normal Cleaning"

I then check the gun in a couple of days just in case and if needed ( only once in my life and that with a ratty K98 and WWII ammo) repeat the proceedure.

Do not drop a Mosin Nagant M1944 in Momma's bath tub and ding the enamal off the iron and then not rinse the tub while you are serching for that bottle of appliance touch up paint you put somewhere out in the shop so she finds the tub dinged and filthy. This is known a "A BAD THING" as in "Yes, Squash, having a 40 foot high lava monster destroying your home town would be a Bad Thing."

It never hurts to help.

-Bob Hollingsworth

 

[Dustinthewind]

Yes the surplus ammo is corrosive, but really it is not that bad to clean up. I use Hoppe's black powder solvent which contains ammonia, ethanol and kerosene. Compared to cleaning black powder guns, the corrosive ammo is a breeze to clean up.

 

[Vaarok]

Half inch silicone hose, jammed into the chamber and hooked to the faucet.

 

[Hoppy590]

Vaarok

didnt you house train your M44. hes peeing all over the basement!

about windex.

ammonia really plays a secondary role in neutralizing the salts. water does probably 90% of the work

what ammonia does do is provide a copper solvent

 

[esmith]

Vaarok, you must have been spying on my friend and I's invention. That has been the same thing we have been doing forever, except our versions better. We point them down into a stationary tub so water doesn't go everywhere on the floor.

 

[weaselchew]

I doubt he's worried about the water from the Mosin considering the sink does the same thing

I've thought about modifying a spent case by cutting the front half off, popping the primer out & opening the primer cup up to attach a short bit of tubing to. Then hook up the other end to an old spray bottle (or funnel, etc) for a [semi] mess-free clean up away from home. Or maybe I'm over engineering it a little

 

[stubbicatt]

I take a small jelly jar, fill it about half way with hot tap water, and add a tablespoon or two of BALLISTOL to the water, which then has sort of a white milky appearance. Use a wet patch to start, then just repeat brushing with a bronze bore brush dipped in this solution. Use a chamber brush dipped in this solution, and just keep repeating until when you dip the brush in the jar of solution no more smuts comes off of it.

Then a couple of dry patches and a chamber mop and all is done.

YMMV.